ULTRASTRUCTURAL FEATURES OF DANAZOL-INDUCED CHOLESTASIS - A CASE-STUDY

A case study of a severe cholestatic syndrome induced by danazol, with ultrastructural description of liver morphology, is reported. Cholest asis appeared after 3 months treatment with danazol (300 mg/daily) and completely resolved 2 months after withdrawal. In spite of the severe increase in serum bilirubin and total serum bile salts, transaminases were only slightly elevated and GGT and alkaline phosphatases were al most normal. Light microscopy shows a pattern of predominantly centrol obular cholestasis without necrosis, with minimal inflammaton/infiltra te and with no sign of bile ductule involvement. At the ultrastructura l level very dilated bile canaliculus predominate with stunted or loss of microvilli and dense bile material in the lumen. Nonspecific alter ations were seen in hepatocyte intracellular organelles. It is suggest ed that danazol may cause a rare but severe hepatocanalicular cholesta sis, differing from the ''bland'' cholestasis frequently described dur ing therapy with other anabolic steroids.